Dine in a beautifully preserved kitchen, with its original marble worktop and wonky wooden beams, or the old sitting room with antique furniture and candy striped walls. Fire is used expertly in the kitchen, where octopus and wild fish is charred over open flame.
Folks flock to Voltereta Kioto, where the decor is undeniably astonishing. Choose from two dining rooms: one is a take on 16th century Japan with wood panelling, paper lanterns and vines that creep up to the ceiling; the other is a futuristic vision of neon lights, glossy booths with sushi served on plates that shine like an oil slick.
Imperfect, flowy shapes and natural materials set the scene at Begin, a restaurant that wants to transport guests back to an imaginary prehistoric era of healthier eating. The cave-like interior is a refuge of simple, veggie-led food (some with cheesy names), like ‘ancestral hummus’ with crudites.
89 EL CLAVO
C/ del Crist del Grau 16
Poblats Maritims
facebook.com/
Elclavo.enelGrau
90 CAFE DE LAS HORAS
C/ del Comte
d'Almodóvar 1
La Seu cafedelashoras.com
+34 963 91 73 36
This old hardware store near the port has been refurbished with a very light touch. Endearing wooden drawers with different pipe fittings, tape and door handles and cover the walls, tables are made from upturned wine barrels and bare brick pillars are dressed with vintage posters.
More is more at Cafe de Las Horas, a fabulous mash-up of a boujie British tea house and a burlesque nightclub. Beneath glittering chandeliers, every inch is covered in antique paintings, thick velvet drapes and bouquets of roses. An eccentric crowd is there to get tipsy on agua de Valencia and tap their toes to the bossa nova duo.
5 examples of MODERNIST and BRUTALIST architecture
121 ESPAI VERD
C/ del Músic Hipòlit
Martínez 16
Benimaclet
122 LA RAMBLETA
Bulevar Sur esquina
Calle Pío IX
Jesus larambleta.com
+34 960 01 15 11
Antonio Cortés wanted to change the way that people lived with Espai Verd. Built in the 1980s, the radical space combines concrete, height and lush green space to incredible effect, like a modern day Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Did it work? Make the trip, peep through the gate at the fountains and trees, and judge for yourself.
This seven-storey concrete box might look big and bolshy, but take in the surroundings of the cultural centre and notice how it subtly fuses the housing blocks and parkland. Completed in 2012, the idea of La Rambleta idea was not to dominate, but to build community. Events are varied and accessible, from puppet theatre to Pink Floyd tribute bands.
5 fun plazas that COME TO LIFE AT NIGHT
201 PLAÇA DEL NEGRET
Ciutat Vella
A bohemian crowd head to Cafe Negrito on Plaça del Negret to hang out and chat ’til the small hours. It was the site of the first public drinking fountain in the city in 1850, topped with the statue of a child. Locals called it el negrito due to the colour of the metal used, a nickname that became official in 1940.
121 ESPAI VERD
202 PLAÇA XUQUER
Algirós
203 PLAÇA DE CÁNOVAS DEL CASTILLO
L’Eixample
204 PLAÇA DEL CEDRE
Algirós
205 PLAÇA DEL TOSSAL
Ciutat Vella
This sleepy, tree-filled square wakes up at night. Indie bars like Rocafull blast out The Cure and dish out very generous gin and tonics. Through the foliage, La Vitti hosts offbeat jazz bands in their cosy bar, and La Salamandra Xuquer serves an exceptional homemade vermouth.
This grand square is where well-heeled residents come to cut loose. Order a 45day matured steak and a Mallorcan cheese board at Can Valear, a chocolate fondant at La Tagliatella, and party until sunrise at Havana, a club for sharp outfits and champagne on ice.
Just across the road from the polytechnic campus, a lively university group sips beers at Plaça del Cedre. The leafy square has laid-back drinking dens: there's the loosely London-themed Underground Café Pub with its cheap drinks and foosball table, cheesy tunes at Pub Ibiza, and a big terrace with affordable cocktails at Café Colores.
The route is well-trodden to this crowded square, which literally lights up with clubs and bars on its perimeter. By day visit the Tossal Gallery, where among modern art important parts of the Islamic city walls are displayed. By night, drink margaritas on the terrace of La Tia Juana and watch the madness unfold.
